Sri Lanka’s Centre for Human Rights has called for the President’s powers to implement the death penalty to be removed.
President Maithripala Sirisena is avoiding meeting members of the foreign diplomatic corp in the country following his announcement on re-imposing the death penalty.
The GSP Plus trade concessions granted to Sri Lanka by the European Union (EU) will be taken up for review first in the event the country re-imposes the death penalty, diplomatic sources said.
The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks has stated that it will take SLFP General Secretary,
President Maithripala Sirisena has refused ‘Divaina’ Editor Anura Solomon’s request to appoint a Presidential Commission to probe into the allegations levelled against Dr Shafi Shibadeen. The Doctor was accused of conducting 4000 illegal sterilization procedures on Buddhist women.
Sri Lanka Prisons Department is said to have hired two executioners. According to local English daily the ‘Daily News’, the duo were chosen as they had received the highest marks from the 26 individuals who had applied for the post.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has opposed carrying out the death penalty stating that taking the life of another is against United National Party (UNP) policies.
The issue of political prisoners in the country is to be taken up by the Cabinet of Ministers shortly.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has urged Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa and the Joint Opposition to give up the “frog in the well” thinking and study Sri Lanka’s proposed and existing bilateral agreements with foreign countries with an unbiased eye.
Issuing a statement, the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) has said it is unethical for medical practitioners to be part of the execution process fully or partially, or to check the suitability of the prisoners, even under pressure.
